Not Even if You Begged Me
by Maverick Hunter Ryce
Summary: Ryce (pronounced Race) left Hunter HQ. She left behind her dreams with the one who took them. Megaman X. She can't get herself to hate him though, no matter how much she tries, deep down: She's in love with the fool that changed her. Somehow sent back through time, Ryce starts over again named Ara. But, she can't forget what she left behind in the future. Her love for a hero. . . .
1. Prologue: The Real Dream

_"Your dismissed, Ryce," my Commander said. "Y-yes sir," I stuttered. I hadn't understood what he'd meant. I knew he was having a bad day, but, I hadn't realized how bad it had been. How badly he'd decided I was...useless. How badly he wanted me gone. "No Ryce, not to your bunk. Your dismissed...permanently," he said, his voice like cold daggers. I stopped mid-step. "X! What are you doing?" Commander Zero, a good friend of my Commander, called._

_"You're being relieved of duty, Ryce. We don't need your assistance anymore."_

_"W-what?"  
_

_"X!"_

_"C-Commander..did I..do something w-wrong?" I asked. He turned to me, his green eyes so cold it sent a shiver up my spine. And they had this sort of...dislike in them. No, it was hate. And it was focused on me. "You're here," he said, as if it were simple. "You are useless to the Hunters as you are. We would of kept you if you'd decided to switch to the Medical Unite, but you declined. Now, your assistance in unwanted. You can go pack and leave."_

_I unfroze. I took a step forward. "Commander? What have I done wrong? Tell me how I can fix it? How to correct my mistake," I replied. _

_"You want to fix it?"_

_I nodded._

_"Leave. And don't come back."_

_I took several steps back. How? How could this person be the Commander I followed? Cared for? Loved? How could his eyes be so dull? He only has a few hours left before the Ultimate Weapon is fired, destroying the world. Yet, he's wasting time, telling me I'm relieved. Why?_

_"X?! What are you doing!?" Zero asked. The offer Repliforce had given me was now gone, along with the organization itself. Colonel...Iris...and Double. Double's a traitor. And I was here to tell my Commander that. I had info, and he didn't care. I had something to win an advantage in this war, and he was denying it. This wasn't my Commander._

_"Who are you?" I asked. He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with my Commander?" I hissed, eye flaring red for anger. Zero was looking at me like I was crazy, and I don't blame him. "Zero, you know Commander X the best. You know he doesn't act like this. He cares for every one of his men, and isn't willing to give them up, but doesn't want them dead. Think of it...why would the _**real** _Megaman X fire me? What reasons or reason does he have to do so?" _

_I let Commander Zero sink it in. "You're stupid aren't you? I'm beating around the bush, but I guess I have to say it bluntly for you. _I'm firing you_!" Comman-no, X, explained. I blinked back tears. "Then I guess you really never like me X, despite what you've always said. But I want you to know three things. One; I'll leave, never come back. Even if you beg me. Two; Double isn't who he says he is. I just wanted you to know that. And three; I loved you, X."_

_I raced from the room, tears streaming. I ripped my Hunter badge off and threw it to the ground. "_**I HATE YOU!"**_ I screamed. I packed, then disappeared._

My head hurt and I rubbed it. Tears were streaming my face. What was I saying? What had I said? How could I ever gain enough anger to tell my ex-Commander I hated him, when deep down, I still loved him. I still don't know the answer, after eight years. Eight years ago, I'd left Maverick Hunter HQ, deciding never to go back, even if X begged me. He broke me, and if he wants me back...no...I could never ask him to break...never.

I love the damn bastard too much.


	2. Chapter 1: Ryce

**DAY: 2,920 = 8 YEARS **

**WEEK: 416 = 8 YEARS **

**MONTH: 96 = 8 YEARS **

**HOUR: 480 = 8 YEARS**

**YEARS DATE: JANUARY 1, 2014 **

**YEARS SINCE 'DEPARTURE': _9 _**

My scanners and visuals reactivated slower than usual. Or maybe they're finally giving in after years of rust, grease and oldness. Whatever the case, I still woke with a headache. Twisting my neck, I gave a hefty sigh. _Happy Birthday to me, nine years since I was kicked out, and now I am rusting, happy birthday to me,_ I sang dully in my mind.

"_Wow, you sound excited_," Deco, a virus that had entered my systems and couldn't seemed to get out, greeted. I could imagine the little bug crossing her arms, a scowl on her face. I sighed again.

The virus said she couldn't remember being a reploid (a robot that can think, feel, and act on it's own), a Half Breed (half human half reploid, but not really a cyborg), like me, or a human (like I used to be). But she sure had learned and mastered the 'art' of sarcasm.

"Morning Deco, see your back to buggin' me. And on my birthday!" I complained with fake horror. "I didn't asked to be put in your ancient scrap of a system. I bet, if I were still in the future, your head would be running and waking up in seconds, not minutes," she complained. I growled and hissed, "Well, if you don't recall, Deco, I was booted from the past, seeing everyone there 'hated' me. At least every four years or so Albert and Thomas fix my damaged parts."

Albert Wily and Thomas Light were two of the three humans who knew who I was. Both were extremely talented mechanics/robot builders. But to be honest, Albert did have a dark look in his eyes every no an' than. Thomas and Albert had awed at my programming, amazed how I was still half human. They asked to tinker, and I glared and smacked them. They looked at me in shock, then I reminded them, "I'm half human."

The joys of being human, if only 49.9% still natural.

A light knock interrupted my train of thought and argument with Deco. I shook my head, clearing it, and mumbled a "Come in". Renee' walked in, her large, violet eyes blinking at me. "Good morning, Ara," she whispered, I had to strain to hear her. I gave a small smile. I'd given up Ryce long ago.

"Good morning, Renee', how'd you sleep?"

A small smile appeared on her face and she mutter, "Good." I lifted up the covers and moved over, tapping the seat next to me. The sun was barely shining through the shades and I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon. Dark ringlets were under the seven year old's eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"

She nodded, resting her head on my shoulder. "I had a nightmare," she whispered, her voice growing more and more silent. A gentle smile spread across my face. "What was it? Maybe I can make it go away," I volunteered. I pulled my buster out. "Pew pew!" I stage-shouted/whispered, mimicking as if I'd shoot something, giggling. She brought her head up to meet my amber. Her large eyes were red, signaling she'd been crying.

"Why didn't you come to me earlier?" I asked, concern in my voice. "You were sleeping. You've been restless in your sleep, but last night you looked peaceful. I didn't want to wake you up," she answered. I smiled again, rubbing her shoulder. "You can always wake me up. No matter what," I reminded her, starting to rub her shoulder.

She nodded.

"It was sad. I was in an office with these two guys. I even knew their names. One guy, the one sitting in his desk, looked at me, his eyes full of hate. Like he wanted me. . .dead. He said he was firing me."

I sucked in a breath. How did she know what had happened? She didn't notice I went stiff.

"I didn't know what he was firing me for, but I knew I couldn't leave. So I argued, it only made it worse though. He yelled at me, and I ran away, crying. I'd screamed, **_'I HATE YOU!'_ **but instantly I wanted to take it back. But it was too late." Tears were threatening. She looked up at me. "That was you, wasn't it. . .they were like you. . "

I didn't answer. I let the tears pour quietly, holding Renee' close. "Hey, Renee', promise me you won't ever leave me," I whispered. She nodded and replied with a quiet, "Okay." I didn't notice we'd fallen asleep like that.


	3. Chapter 2: X

_Eight years. . .I haven't seen her for_ eight_ years. My heart had grown colder, and my voice stricter. Why had I let her go? Simple: It hadn't been me. That reploid who impersonated me, firing Ryce and making her hate me. When Zero found me, he'd slapped me, yelling curse words at me, mile a minute, tears threatening, screaming about my stupid mistake. I'd looked at him like he was crazy, but I'd caught one sure thing of his anger slurred words._

**Ryce was gone. . . . . .**

_We went running to her bunk, yelling her name in the halls, checking all her favorite placing. Asking everybody, even the Maverick prisoners, if they'd seen her. But they all said the same thing._

**No. . . . . **

_Together, Zero and I hopped on our hover bikes and went looking for any sign of her. "She couldn't have gotten too far," Zero reasoned. "Yeah, she couldn't have gotten too far in a city full of millions and millions of people," was my reply. We also had to worry about *shudder*. . . .fans. Racing around, Alia had told us a biking accident had taken place, Downtown due west, 105 Avenue. Zero and I both had the same thought._

**That's where I'd first saved Ryce when she was attacked, me bringing her into our ranks. . . . **

_We raced down, cutting traffic, skipping lights, and getting cussed at or 'the finger' every now and then. And when we'd arrived. . .we found the bike. And it was Maverick Hunter property. We also found a piece of cracked red armor, with gold outlining the rim, black MH symbols cracked through the_ middle.

**The armor was part of Ryce's. . . .we'd been too late. . . . **

_We'd been met by Dynamo, saying he'd "finally been ridden of the little pest". I was only held back by Zero, who was clutching the wrist with my buster. "You damn bastard! What did you do to Ryce! I'll kill you!" I'd hissed, venom dripping from my voice. I didn't even hate Sigma this much. Dynamo had looked at me like I was crazy. "You seriously can't take a clue? I'd asked her if she'd join, she declined. Tried to infect her, but it didn't work. Stunned her for a few seconds at most. So, I killed her," he'd explained, making it sound simple._

**I wanted to rip his head off. . . .he'd killed Ryce. . . .The girl I cared for more than anything. . . .**

_I'd thought I'd been mad? No, no, no. Zero went Maverick on Dynamo. Tearing him to shreds. Curse words flying out of his mouth like a sailor. Screw a mile a minute, more like a one hundred miles per milisecond. He'd moved so fast, I didn't even get a shot in. When he was done, Dynamo was nothing more than scraps. I grasped the piece of armor, like it was the only thing keeping me alive._

**Because I felt dead. . . .**

_I cried for a really long time. More than an hour, there in that abandoned street. Zero reminded me we needed to get back to stopping the Final Weapon and Repliforce. I nodded. Zero had had it just as bad as me, losing Iris. Heck, even Ryce had it bad, knowing Iris, the General, and Colonel, all dying right before her eyes. By Zero. Yet, she didn't hate Zero. _

**She hated me. **

_But Alia told me something once. . . . _

**"If you love somebody, let them go. And if they love you back, they'll come back."**

_An old quote. More than three hundred years old. But it was usually right. I hoped this one time it would work, that that Destiny Ryce used to talk about so much would send Ryce back to me. Because, as long as I live. . . . ._

**I'll be waiting for you, Ryce. . . .and I'm so sorry for what I hadn't done. . . **


	4. Chapter 3: Ryce

The weirdest thing that happened to me on my birthday today? I need to list them there are so many.

**1. ** I got gifts

**2. **I had cake

**3.** People talked to me.

**4.** The mirror in the bathroom started talking

Literally. I'd been in the bathroom, just finishing brushing my hair, when a voice was heard. "Man. . .so much for prank day. Someone got here first," someone muttered in annoyance. My reflection rippled, and suddenly, and an auburn haired boy's face appeared. Practically screamed my head off, same with him. With boy looked at each other, our eyes not breaking.

I spoke first. "Who," I started slowly, "the hell, are you?" He blinked and his eyes widen. "I was just going to ask you the same," he replied. Truth be told, he was pretty cute. Spiked, auburn hair, reminding me of my old color, wet with either sweat or shower water, green eyes, a shade or two brighter than mine used to be, that had a childish gleam in it. He had peach skin, with a faint blush, deepening in color, on his cheeks and ears.

"What are you doing in my mirror?" we both asked. Now my face heated to a scarlet color.

"I don't know!"

"Hey! Stop it!"

"Stop mimicking me!"

We glared at each other, my auburn into his green. Then, almost on instinct, we broke out laughing. We were laughing so hard, I was crying. "Why, huh, ha, are we, haha, huh, laughing?" he struggled out. "I, ha huh, don't know!" I snorted. My face became redder. The boy took notice. "Your face looks like Zero's armor," he commented. I froze. _Z-Zero?_

"Who are you?" I asked. "Axl, junior Maverick Hunter! Who are you?" he asked, his eyes wide. For once, I let my illusion fade. My auburn eyes stayed, sure, but a tinge of green broke through. My pale brown hair, changed to Axl's maple-leaf red. For once, I was myself. Ryce.

"Dude, your eyes and hair changed colors," he pointed out. I giggled. "This is the real me, don't worry, I don't bite. By the way, Axl, I'm Ryce, call me Ara," I introduced. Axl smiled, amusement lighting his eyes. "Nice to meet you."

"So tell me, why can't you go pranking, preferably on X?"

"Someone got to me first, locking me in my room. They changed the code to open the door, and unless I want to fall a hundred feet, I have other way out," Axl complained miserably. I thought about this. Light bulb!

_"Hey, if what your thinking is true, can we get some better, updated parts?"_ Deco asked. "No," I muttered. I tapped the glass, and my figure fell through. A grin spread across my face. "I think I can help you, what time is it?" I answered.

"Two o'clock."

"About four hours of pranking."

"Would of been five if I'd figured out how to open the door."

"Step back." I checked my clothes and placed a hand through the mirror. It fell through, and the glass felt like a liquid. I stepped through. Axl's eyes were super, inhumanly wide. "That was so cool," I whispered. I froze and looked down. "Oh no," I muttered. I had my old armor back on.

My auburn hair flowed through the opening in the back of my helmet, my bangs framing my face, while three of them were jagged up, then down across my face. I wore a red, gold, silver, with some black armor. I had a chest piece, stopping at my stomach where I had a black jump-suite on. Gold outlined the rims, my armor sparking. I had silver power-streams criss-crossing through out my black jump-suite. I had a miniture skirt, which had gold lining, and some gold strips going down. The rest of my armor was red. My shoes were sneaker-like, and weren't large like Axl's.

I grinned at him, my armor turning black, gray, and some white. "Let's see your door."

I walked over to his door, clicking the OPEN button. The door swung open. "How come it open for you?" Axl asked, irritation in his voice. "Because, your dorms. . .was my old one. It memorized my finger print, so it knows me," I explained rushly. Didn't want him to ask questions. His eyes asked me thousands, but he didn't say anything. We sneaked out.

We stopped by Zero's dorm first. "I was thinking of taking all his shampoo," Axl whispered. I made a "tsk" noise and stage-whispered, "Watch the master work."

I opened the secret opening to Zero's bathroom. I put pink hair-dye in the shampoo bottle, with some glue and sparkles in the conditioner. Next, I dyed Zero's armor to match his hair. Putting a sign on it that said, "You know who was here."

Suppressing laughs, I let Axl in to see. I had to drag him out so he could start laughing. "Amazing! Where have you been all my laugh?" Axle wheezed. "On the other side of the mirror." It was then I noticed it. The crack in my armor. I was missing the MH on my left shoulder in black, bold letters. It must have broken off in the accident.

"Next, Axle, is X."

We tiptoed over to X's bunk, but when we got there, sadness rolled over me. I signal for Axl to take a turn. He nodded, not noticing the change, and went in. When he came out, he said X's hair will be blue for a week, with pink hearts all over his armor. I bowed to him. "The student has become the teacher," I whispered. He chuckled and we pranked everybody else.

Alia will be having green hair for a few days, with brown armor. Douglas will be blind without his glasses, and his tool'll be gone. All the Lifesaver copies were reprogrammed, thanks to the master computer, to have them dance the chicken dance when one of them was called. And every rookie would be firing blunts in their guns for a week as well.

I climbed back into the mirror my, clothes changing. "Best day ever Axl," I said. "Same here. Well, I have to go to bed, see you," Axl said, yawning. I laughed and my reflection returned. I smiled. "Ryce, it was goo to be back. . . . . "

_"We didn't even get to update our system."_


	5. Chapter 4: Axl

I heard banging on my door, and I didn't dare answer it. "AXL! OPEN THE DOOR OR I WILL USE MY SABER TO SLASH IT OPEN!" Zero bellowed. My eyes widen and I jumped off the bed, running into the bathroom. I started banging on the glass.

"Ara! Ara! Open the damn glass door! Zero's gonna kill me!" I cried. The mirror stayed the same. "ARA! HELP!" I heard a thump by the door, and my eyes widen. "ARA! ARA! ARA! OPEN THE DOOR! LET ME IN! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" I banged on the glass harder, the door's beating not lessening. "AXL!" another voice joined. X!

"SHIT!" I cried, jumping out the window, just as Zero came in. I activated my hover and flew a few feet from the window. I laughed at Zero's appearance. Pink with rainbow glitter armor, and pink hair to match his armor. Douglas, Alia, X and the Lifesavers (doing the chicken dance), all bellowed at me, telling me to come inside so he could rip me apart. "That's a very nice offer, but I have to refuse, Pinky!" I replied cheekily at Zero.

"WHY YOU-"

Suddenly, their was I noise I recognized all to well. The sound of a gear turning off and shutting down from over heating. My hover gears contracted and I began to fall. Now the cries that were once mad were frightened and nervous.

"AXL!"

I thrashed in the air, and with a last boost of fuel, I burst myself into a mirror. I flew straight through! It was insane! I popped out the other side, and landed with a thud on top of someone else. "Axl. . .so help me if you do not get off me I will throw you back to Zero, since he's probably up isn't he?" Ara threatened. I stiffened and climbed off her. "So sorry!" I apologized. She shrugged and smiled. "Nice outfit," she commented.

I looked down. I was in a black hoodie thing human wore. I had these jeans on and my hair was still up. I wore SNEAKERS! WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO!? I gagged. "Sneaker," I croaked. "They're terrible." My voice rose slightly on that last sentence. A good smell wafted from another room. "What's that smell?" I asked, sniffing the air. "Bacon," she answered, walking to the door.

"Your in time for breakfast, come on," she invited. I skipped down with her, turning the corner cautiously. "Come on, Thomas and Renee' won't bite," she prodded. I stepped into the kitchen.

I'll give you this, if you've never tried bacon, you are missing out terribly.

Thomas and his granddaughter, Renee', are clearly the nicest people I've ever met. Thomas was like the dad I never had (not including Red who went insane) and Renee' was just adorable. She was a quiet little thing and wouldn't look me in the eyes. "Renee', are you thinking what I think your thinking?" Ara asked. Renee's eyes widened and her cheeks redden as bright as Zero's armor's old color (you know, before Ara turned it pink)!

"What's she thinking?" I whispered to Ryce. The name Ara was getting annoying. "I can't tell you," she sang.

"Why?" I complained.

"Because your a boy," she said, making a face as if it should be simple.

"Don't give me that bull-" "

There are kids here!"

WHACK!

WHACK!

"Ow! Stop it!"

WHACK!. . . . . whack, whack, whack, whack, whack!

"Ow! I should of fell to my death!" I cried, hiding under the table, a large piece of metal in Ryce's hands. "I give! Uncle! Whatever I'm supposed to say! I should have stayed with Zero!" Ryce sighed and lowered the weapon. Renee' giggled and I looked at her. Her eyes widen, finally making contact with mine, and she rushed into a room.

I heard a SLAM! and a lock being turned. Ryce laughed and sang dreamily, "Ah. . .young love. . ." I looked between Thomas and Ryce. "I don't get it," I stated bluntly. "S'okay, Axl, you have a lot to learn still," Thomas informed with a laugh, going to sit outside. Ryce raced after him, leaving me alone in the kitchen. "I really don't get it," I groaned.

"That's why it's funny!"

"Shuddup!"


End file.
